Tag: Diversity

Bullied kids are depressed kids and I know that too well. Do you want to know why? Well, I’ll tell you. I have been bullied a lot and I know how it feels. It’s all about being different in some way. Kids who are like all the other kids usually are not bullied. You would be surprised at how even a little difference can cause unkind kids to bully. Parents may not have any idea that there is something about their child that can make him or her a target of bullying.

Here is an example of what I am saying. Oh! Before I forget! If you are new here, you might not know that I am a dog. In fact, I am a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. That makes me very different because I don’t have a tail like other dogs. Pembroke Welsh Corgis don’t have tails! I bet you didn’t know that!

There is another reason that I understand bullying. I use a wheelchair because I had a bad accident. If you are interested in finding out more about me, you can look here.

Now that you know a little about me, I will go on with what I started to say.

The other day, my mom and I were visiting some friends that were having a pool party. My friend was very sad and at first, he didn’t tell me why. Then he “spilled” everything to me when the adults went into the house. Because we were alone, he told me that he was being bullied at school. It was hard to believe because he is one very cool kid. He is smart, handsome, athletic and very kind.

Bullied Kids = Depressed Kids – I Can Help Build Self-Esteem

He told me that he was being bullied at lunchtime because of what he ate. He has a sensitivity to some foods that have wheat, sugar, and dyes. That means he can’t have sandwiches or sweet or colored foods. His mom packs his lunch with nuts, meats, vegetables, fruits and stuff like that. He was very depressed and down in the dumps about it.

We talked for a long time and I listened to the things he had to say. Because I understand bullying, there were some ideas I shared with him to help his situation. I could see that he was not as sad after we talked. And I was sure he would feel better after he saw the bullying kids the next time.

Please come back to find out what I said and how the kids at school reacted.

Don’t Go Near Him

One day when I went to the pet supply store to get dog food, I took Rugby with me. It was a rainy day and there were very few people in the store. As always, Rugby was scoping out everything at his eye level. I was focused on my errand and we were walking in that direction when I heard people talking.

I heard a child say, “Mommy look at that doggie in the wheelchair.” Then I heard a woman’s voice saying, “Don’t go near him. There is something wrong with him. Let’s just go the other way. No. You can’t pet him. Something is wrong with him.” This was not the first time something like this happened.

It was almost like Rugby was telling himself what to do, “If they can’t come to me, I’ll go to them.”

At that moment, I felt Rugby pulling me down the aisle and around the corner to the next aisle where the children and their mother were. I saw the mother put her hands on her children’s shoulders and hold them. Rugby pulled me right over to them and then barked. It wasn’t a loud bark. It was more like a “woof.”

The little girl looked at her mother and asked her, “Mommy, can’t we pet him please?” I don’t know if the mother was embarrassed or just confused but she still held their shoulders and said nothing. “Mommy, can we?”

I decided that I needed to put my two cents in so I said, “It’s okay. They can pet him. They won’t catch anything.” She gave me a questioning look and I told her that I knew that she was concerned and that Rugby wouldn’t hurt her children in any way, quite the contrary.

She released her hold on the children as if to tell them that they could pet him. I explained that Rugby had been in an accident and that he needed the wheelchair because of his paralysis.

As the children and Rugby interacted happily, she and I talked. When we were ready to say good bye, she told her children something that I will never forget.

“Emily and Alex, don’t ever be afraid of anyone who is different from you. Try to understand what they are going through and be kind because that is how you want to be treated.”

What a lesson those children learned on that day. What lessons are you teaching your children?

We were in the store and saw a child having a meltdown. We felt bad for the child but we felt even worse for the mom who was trying to handle the situation. Not even 10 feet away from them stood a couple who started talking to each other in loud voices about how spoiled the child was.

It got even worse when they began to criticize the mother for not being strict enough with the child. Then they talked about how they would never have tolerated that kind of behavior with their own children. Everyone heard them and then the mother began to sob. It was time to step in and help. After all, that’s what we do!

Meltdown or Tantrum?

GUESS WHAT? We found out that the mom was dealing with her daughter who has Sensory Processing Disorder. She was exhausted and couldn’t handle the constant criticisms anymore. We asked the onlookers if they had raised kids with special needs? They said that their children were very normal and that using special needs as an excuse wasn’t the way to raise a child.

Have you ever been critical of a parent who was dealing with a child’s meltdown in a public place?

Think about a few things and maybe… just maybe you will be more understanding. A tantrum and a sensory meltdown are two totally different things. A tantrum happens when a child doesn’t get something he or she wants or needs.

A sensory meltdown happens when the child feels overwhelmed!

Meltdown or Tantrum?

Maybe the noises in the store or too many things to focus on send a child with SPD into a meltdown. For onlookers, a tantrum and a sensory meltdown appear to be the same but they far from being the same. For the child with SPD, too many sensory inputs flood the brain and a meltdown is a way to release the pressure.

Have you ever tried to use a funnel to fill a bottle with some liquid only to see that too much liquid causes the bottle to spill over? Have you ever turned on a hose to fill a bucket only to see that the pressure of the water in the hose causes the bucket to spill over? Both of these situations are only mild examples of what a child with SPD is feeling. Do you feel less critical? We hope so!!

People worry about differences. Animals just deal with differences in the best way possible. This is Lucy and she has only three legs… not four.

She had an accident when she was a puppy and lost her fourth leg. Is she feeling sorry for herself? Is she worrying about her future and what her life be like with only three legs? NO! Lucy is waking up each morning and facing the new day with a positive attitude. Why? Because she gets it. Lucy gets that life is what we make it and differences are not the focus! Things happen. Good and and bad happens but we have a choice. We can live our lives with gusto and happiness or we can spend our lives feeling sorry for ourselves because we were dealt a bad hand. We can focus on what others have and what others can do or we can focus on life and all that it has to offer!

What a waste it is to teach children the message that they are not the same or that they have less than other kids. Wouldn’t it be better to teach them that everyone is different? That everyone has more or less than they do? That everyone comes from a different place and everyone has an issue? Wouldn’t it be better to teach them that color, race, religion, and every other difference is just that? A Difference and not a bad thing?

Think about it. Think about your own problems. Think about what problems others have and what is happening in the world today. Then… think about Lucy! Think about how she deals with adversity and how she faces each day.

Maybe… just maybe… you might begin to understand what Lucy, the three legged dog understands. Accept differences and embrace differences! Welcome everyone who is different because they may be the very ones who change your life for the better!

Dogs have opinions about the holidays.

You may be wondering why a dog has an opinion about such things. Well, I’ll tell you. Dogs are smart. Dogs see happiness and they see sadness. They see kindness and they see hostility. Dogs see pain and grief and they see and they see joy. There are even some dogs who watch TV and see what is happening all over the world.

Guess what? Not only do dogs see these things but they feel them too. Dogs have are very tuned into the people they love and what happens to them. That’s why I have an opinion and that’s why it’s important that I share it with you. There are somethings that are disrupting this holiday season and I know how to fix some of them. My solution centers on kindness and the Golden Rule.

Because everyone is different, everyone values different things. That’s why life will get better when each one of us becomes more understanding, more sympathetic, more concerned and more loving. Miracles can begin with the efforts and actions of all of us.

There is world unrest and national unrest and it’s time to change that… one person, one family, one school, and one nation at a time. It’s time to be good and do good. So as difficult as it may be, we must begin to see things differently so that the future will be all that we want it to be.

Because of that, race, religion, physical ability, political view, color of skin, amount of wealth or lack of wealth, ethnicity or any other difference should be accepted as forms of diversity. Guess what? Diversity is powerful and diversity is everywhere! We need to embrace our own diversity and the diversity of others.

Dogs Have Opinions

So now back to my solution. The way I see it, The Golden Rule is a simple one. Just treat everyone the way you want to be treated.

The Dalai Lama said it best!

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion… Every religion emphasizes human improvement, love, respect for others, sharing other people’s suffering. On these lines, every religion had more or less the same viewpoint and the same goal.”

(The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity is a moral maxim or principle of altruism found in nearly every human culture and religion, suggesting it is related to a fundamental human nature.)

Search

Beverly N Smith, Med Reading Consultant Specialist

Written from a cute and smart disabled dog’s mouth, Rugby Jones reinforces children’s “Growth Mindset” that they can do anything if they believe they can! I highly recommend this book as a wonderful springboard for parent/child discussions as well as use in a classroom situation followed by discussions and writing opportunities.

Written from a cute and smart disabled dog’s mouth, Rugby Jones reinforces children’s “Growth Mindset” that they can do anything if they believe they can! I highly recommend this book as a wonderful springboard for parent/child discussions as well as use in a classroom situation followed by discussions and writing opportunities. - Beverly N Smith, Med – Reading Consultant/Specialist